00:00I'm proud now to introduce the Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus from California, Representative Ted Lieu.
00:07Thank you, Congressman Deluzio. I'm so honored to be here with all of the current Democratic members who are veterans,
00:14as well as the incoming members who are veterans.
00:17We had a historic week last week when the American people sent a clear message to Capitol Hill and to
00:24Congress.
00:24They wanted a change. And part of that change is having a policy where we don't have forever reckless wars
00:33and to make sure we take care of our veterans.
00:35And we're going to grow the House Democratic Veterans Caucus by an additional dozen more members, one of the largest
00:43Democratic caucuses of veterans in modern history.
00:47And so I want to be here with Ranking Member Takano, who is going to explain to you something that
00:52happened just on the House floor.
00:54That is completely unacceptable and un-American. And to do it on Veterans Day is shameful for the Republicans.
01:01They need to reverse what they just did. And with that, let me introduce Ranking Member Takano of the Veterans
01:08Committee.
01:09Thank you. Thank you, Congressman Deluzio. Thank you, Congressman Ted Lieu.
01:14I am just outraged at what just happened. I was just on the Capitol step standing next to Vice Chair
01:23Liu and listened to the Speaker of the House commemorate this day.
01:31But he was curious that he did not celebrate the fact that this House rammed through the Taking Care of
01:38America's Veterans Act on his voice vote.
01:41You would think that such a momentous piece of legislation that's to get that's together 60 bills would be something
01:48that Speaker would be celebrating.
01:49But I think there's some embarrassment about the fact about the way they did it.
01:54It was agendized. And by the way, this bill has been brought to the floor at the last minute.
02:01And it's definitely, I think, in response to the fact that we are going to be debating the Major Richard
02:06Starr Act,
02:07which was brought to the floor by a discharge, a bipartisan discharge petition.
02:12Now, why would the Speaker be embarrassed? And why wouldn't he want all of his members to go on record
02:18to vote on the Taking Care of America's Veterans Act?
02:22Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it imposes the largest cut to veterans benefits in American
02:28history.
02:29Fifty seven billion dollars. An additional three billion dollars are cuts to veterans who want to refinance their homes.
02:37Active duty servicemen who are serving right now are going to find it more expensive because of this bill that
02:44they just rammed through on a voice vote.
02:46Now, my staff was negotiating technical changes to the bill on unanimous consent, on unanimous consent request while they went
02:55to the podium and called for this voice vote.
02:58I am angry. I am ashamed of what this what this this leadership has done.
03:04It is dirty pull. And I think they need to be held account for it.
03:12I'll introduce my colleague from.
03:16OK, Elaine is leaning.
03:19OK, from Virginia, a fellow Naval Academy graduate, Elaine Luria.
03:26Good afternoon.
03:27I want to thank all of our veterans, all of those currently serving in uniform and in harm's way.
03:34I have served here in the House on the Veterans Affairs Committee with Chairman Takano, and we always sought to
03:40work in a bipartisan manner to bring access to care and the best benefits to our veterans.
03:46And I look forward to returning to the House again in January to continue that goal.
03:52I would say as someone who has and will again represent a district with one of the highest concentrations of
03:57veterans in the country that we have to bring our sailors home.
04:01We have to end this war.
04:02We have the Ford Carrier Strike Group, longest carrier deployment since Vietnam.
04:08Now the George H.W. Bush is deployed with no end in sight.
04:11The Eisenhower will deploy next.
04:13Everything that this administration is doing, including cutting veterans benefits, sending our sailors into harm's way, is being done irresponsibly.
04:21And we need to come together to correct these wrongs, to provide the benefits that our veterans deserve and bring
04:28our sailors home.
04:28And I am proud now to introduce my former and future colleague, Salud Carbajal, himself a Marine Corps veteran from
04:36California.
04:39Thank you, Elaine.
04:41And thank you, Congressman Deluzio, for bringing us today on this very important day to celebrate Veterans Day.
04:49It's shameful all the cuts to benefits to our veterans that our colleagues across the aisle are implementing.
04:56It's shameful all the things that Secretary Hexeth has been doing to wreck the morale and actually make us less
05:06ready as a military.
05:09This week, Republicans killed the vote to proceed on impeaching Hexeth, choosing to protect him over our service members.
05:18The American people sent a strong message during last week's election.
05:22They are fed up with this administration's incompetence, chaos, and abuse of power.
05:29Hexeth and Trump led our country into a reckless and illegal war in Iran that has been raging for over
05:35250 days.
05:37250 days inflicting a massive human toll and financial toll on our armed services.
05:45Beyond the war, there is a long list of reasons why Hexeth must go.
05:50His extrajudicial killings, ignoring congressional oversight, leaking sensitive military operations, remember Signalgate, and much, much more.
06:02I could go on, but in closing, I have to say, I said it before and I will say it
06:08again.
06:09Hexeth, get the hell out.
06:11Get the hell out of the Pentagon.
06:13You're incompetent now and you were incompetent then.
06:16Our service members, veterans, military families, and the American people deserve better, better leadership of the Department of Defense.
